Census data shows continued growth in the suburbs

New population estimates by the U.S. Census Bureau confirm the visual evidence of construction and building that shows Iowans moving to the suburbs. Beth Henning is the coordinator of the census info for the State Library of Iowa. She says almost all of the top 30 cities that had the highest growth were suburbs — with the three exceptions of Pella, Sioux Center and Newton. Henning says the growth is expected in Pella, Sioux Center and Newton as they’re in counties located adjacent to large suburban areas. Henning says more than three out of every four Iowans live in town — but not all live in the big cities. She says the number of Iowans living in towns under 25-hundred is holding steady — about one-in-six. She says about one-in-four Iowans on the other hand live in towns of over 50-thousand. Henning says the census information also highlights the concerns and troubles faced by the leaders of some of the largest cities. She says one of the things they’re seeing is that the suburbs are growing, but the core cities — like Des Moines, Waterloo, Dubuque and Sioux City — are losing population. Henning says the overall growth of the state hasn’t changed much. She says Iowa’s population has had slow, steady growth in the last 15 years, and the Census Bureau says that pattern has continued in the four years since the 2000 census. For more information, you can surf to:www.iowadatacenter.org.